Power-ramp.



C. HEALY.

POWER RAMP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.16, 1913.

1 ,098,725, Patented June 2, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A TTUR/VEY COLUMBIA vLANoan/ml! COWASHINGTON. D4 c.

C. HEALY.

POWER RAMP.

APPLIoATIoN FILED AUG. 1s, 191s.

1,098,725, @atentewune 2, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CLARENCE HEALEY, OF EAST.' JERSEY;

Continuation in part of application Serial No. 695,370, tiled llay 6, 3.912.

Serial No. 785,068.

To all whom 'it may conce/ra:

lle it known that l., CLARENCE HEALY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident et East Orange7 in the county o'l Essex and Elitatc oi: New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful linprovenients in Pmverdlanips, of which the following is a speeication, reference being,` had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

lhis inven tion relates to ramps over which trucks and the like niay be freely nioved and its object is to provide with a ranip aniotor driven ineehanisui which may be brought into operation at will, to assist in ino-ving hand-trucks or other objects along` the rainp, but which shall not obstruct the Working` surface of the ranip when not in use or when not engaged with such an object. lv'loi/e specilically it relates to a mechanism by means oli which objects ina-y be pushed along the rainp in one direction or the other, or their niovenients on the rainp retarded.

l will describe niy invention in the following` specification und point out the novel features thereof in appended claims.

Referring to the diaivings,--lligure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation oi a rainp einbodying` iny invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of a portion of the apparatus which is shovvn in Fig. 1, the section being taken on the line 2-2 oi Fig. 1. 3 is a t 'ansverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. t is a sectional plan view of a portion of conveyer chain and the load engaoing levers carried thereon. Fig. 5 is a view siniilar to that shown in Fig. 1 ot the saine mechanism, but vvitli the parts thereof in different operative posit-ions. llig. 6 is a plan view and Fig. 7 an end elevation of a lever holding inechanisin which is used in connection with the other parts of the apparatus. ln Fig. 6 this mechanism is shown by itself, While in Fig. 7 it is shown affixed to the ramp, the parts of which are shown in transverse section. ln llig. 8 one of the load engaging levers is shown in perspective.

Lili-e characters of reference designate corresponding; parts in all the figures.

llhe ramp proper is designated by 10. llt is shown in the drawings as having` one et? its ends pivoted at 11 to a pe f'marient sup port suoli as a dock, and its other end rest- Speci-Icaton or Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1914.

This application filed .august 16,

ing upon another support 12 which may be tor example, a boat. Through the greater part of the length of the rainp is a longitudinal, slot 13 preferably near the center oli the rainp. This inay be formed, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, between a pair oit angle irons 1st. The ramp is reinforced near the slot bj a pair ot webs 15. .ein angle iron lo ailiired to one of the Webs 15 through the greater part of its length `toi-nis a support lor the chain Which Will be described vpresently. Another angle iron 17 is atlixed to the other web opposite the angle iron lo. Between those angle irons is a narrow slot 18 below the slot 13 and below the upper surface of the ramp. Ailixed to one of those Webs near the ends of the iainp, are bearings such as 20 for shafts 21 and 22, at least one of which is inotor driven. ritllixed to shaft 21 is a sprocket Wheel 23 and atliXed to shaft 22' is a similar sprocket Wheel 24.. @ver these runs an endless chain 25 which comprises a plurality of transverse pins 2G provided with heads 27 connected links 2S and surrounded by rollers 29.

0n each pin, at one side oi the chain thus formed, is pivotally supported one o'lB the load engaging' levers 30. Each ot' these is in the forni oit a bell-crank lever having two arins at an angle to each other and provided with a hole 31 near the intersection oi" the arins, by means oi which holes these levers are supported near the headed ends of the pins 26. Both of the arnis of these levers are oi'l'set as at 3Q and are constructed with Webs The arins of these bell crank levers are ot approxiinately the saine length as that oli the links 28 so that the Webs 33 of any one of the levers are adapted to engage the heads 2T of the pins adjacent the one upon which the .lever is supported. One oil? the arins oi each lever is also constructed with a lug1 311 projecting1 troni one of its edges.

@n one of the Webs 15 near the ends of the ranip, are bearings such. as l,l0 `for cani shafts 41, 12 Which are directly above the sprocket Wheel shafts E21, respectively. Aflhxed to shaft 4.1 is a segmental cani 113 andatlixed to the other cani shaft l2 is a similar cani 414-. Each ot these Canis is constructed with a riin flange such as 'that shown at l5 in Fig. 2.

Aflixed to the cani shafts are arins L16 Yto which are connected together' by a bar 47. A hand lever 48 is connected with this bar, by means of which the bar may be moved longitudinally and the positions of the cams shifted. The hand lever and the cams are shown in one of their operative positions in Fig. 1 and in another position in Fig. 5. They are also capable of being moved to and held in an intermediate position. The hand lever is shown above the upper surface of the ramp where it is readily accessible and is adjacent a stationary frame 49 in which are holes through which a pin may be thrust into a hole in the lever to hold it and its connected parts inV any one of the three positions to which reference has been made.

Before particularly describing the lever holding mechanism which is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, I will describe the operation of the device. Nhen the cams are in the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 1 and the chain 25 is being driven in the direction indicated by the arrow A, it may be seen that the load engaging levers on the lower portion of the chain will assume the positions in which they are shown. As they pass around the periphery of the sprocket wheel 23, they will reach position in which they will swing on the pins 26, but they will be prevented by the cam 43 engaging the oft'- set portions of one of their arms from swinging all the way over, so that the other of the arms of each lever will protrude through the slot 13 above the surface of the ramp. As soon as the other arm of such protruding lever runs off from the cam, the lever can swing over into the position in which the levers on the upper portion of the chain are shown, thus leaving the surface of the ramp clear. lf, however, a truck is brought upon the ramp into such a position that its axle 35 will be engaged by a protruding arm of one of the load engaging levers, that particular arm cannot drop, nor can it be forced over backward because the web 33 on the other arm of this bell-crank lever will engage the head 27 of the chainpin 26 directly ahead of the one on which this lever is pivoted. Consequently the continued movement of the chain will cause the ltruck to be boosted or driven over the ramp until it reaches the other end thereof, when the arm of the load engaging lever will be drawn down below the surface of the ramp as the chain runs over sprocket wheel 24. The lug 34 will, during this operation, depend into the slot 18 formed between angle irons 16 and 17 and the load engaging lever will be steadied thereby. Although the ramp is shown in a horizontal position, it is generally inclined so that the `operation described is used in lifting the load up hill.

If the hand lever 48 is moved to its central or intermediate position, the cams 43 and 44 will both be moved into such positions that the load engaging levers will clear them, so that they may swing all the way over before the ends of the arms reach the level of the surface of the ramp. This applies to either direction of chain movement so that the entire surface of the ramp may be left clear by centering the hand lever 48 even if the chain is being driven in either direction.

lhen the hand lever and the cams are in the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 5 and the chain 25 is being driven in the direction indicated bv the arrow B, the operation is somewhat diierent. The cam 44 successively raises one arm of each of the load engaging levers above the platform of the ramp. As in the formerly described operation, if there is no object on the ramp with which these arms may engage, they drop again below the platform of the ramp. If a hand truck is pushed onto the ramp behind one of these projecting arms so that it cannot drop, suchan arm will ride against a cam surface 50 of a latch member which is pivoted at 51 on a slidable plate 52 and will force the other end of the latch against the action of a tension spring 53 into such a position as to catch the next lever arm and to hold the latter in its raised position so that as it advances it will engage and push against the truck axle 35.

The advance of the engaged lever arm will carry the latch member and the slidable plate with it, which movement is provided for by slots 54, 54 in the plate 52, through which pass pins which are affixed to a supporting bracket 56. The slots 54 are parallel with the slot 13, but they are oblique thereto at one end as at 57 so that the movement of the plate 52 is parallel with the movement of the chain 25 for a given distance after which it moves away from the chain and away from the arm of the load engaging lever which the latch has been holding, until it releases the latter. Then the plate 52 is moved back to its initial position by a tension spring 58.

Before the arm of the load engaging lever has been released from the holding mechanism, its other arm has reached the end of the angle iron 17 which is bent down as at 19 to receive it, and as it must run along this angle iron to the end thereof, its raised arm will be maintained in its raised position and will continue to drive the truck. lt is to be noted that an arm of a load engaging lever directly ahead of the one which has been described as driving the truclr is also raised, and this may be utilized to retard the forward movement of the truck` so that the truck will move no faster than the chain. This is often desirable in moving heavy loads down grade.

As the arms of the load engaging levers tion, a plurality of load engaging levers thereon beneath said platform and means at predetermined parts of the ramp for raising the load engaging levers above the platform and maintaining the levers in a raised position during short portions only of their path of travel in either direction of chain movement.

With a longitudinal slot, an endless chain arranged to be driven in either direction, a plurality of load engaging levers thereon beneath said platform and means for successively raising said levers above the platform into engaging positions in either direction of movement of said chain, said members being arranged to be maintained in their raised position by engagement therewith of an object on the platform.

18. A ramp having a platform, an endless chain arranged to be driven in either direction, a plurality of load engaging levers thereon, a cam near each end of the ramp for successively raising said levers above the platform and means for simultaneously moving either cam into operative position and the other cam into inoperative position.

14. A ramp having a platform, an endless chain arranged to be driven in either direction, a plurality of load engaging levers thereon, cam near each end of the ramp for successively raising said levers above the platform and means for simultaneously moving both of said cams into inoperative position or either cam into operative position and the other cam into inoperative position.

15. A ramp having a platform, an endless chain, a plurality of load engaging bellcrank levers carried by the chain, each comprising two arms joined at substantially right angles to each other, said chain comprising a plurality of equally spaced transverse pins passing through and svvingingly supporting said levers near the points of junction of their arms, each of said arms be- 12. A ramp having a platform provided Loser/a5 ing arranged to engage With the pin adjacent the one on which it is pivoted to limit its swinging movement in both directions, a cam on each end of the ramp for engaging one of the arms of each member to raise its other arm into a position above the platform and means for moving either cam into operative position.

16. A ramp having a platform, an endless chain, a plurality of load engaging bellcrank levers carried by the chain, each comprising two arms joined at substantially right angles to each other, a lug projecting from the edge of one of the arms of each lever, said chain comprising a plurality of equally spaced transverse pins passing through and sivingingly supporting said levers near the points of jointure of their arms, each of lsaid arms being arranged to engage with the pin adjacent the one on which it is pivoted to limit its swinging movement in both directions, a cam on each end of the ramp for engaging one of the arms of each member to raise its other arm into a position above the platform, means for moving either cam into operative position and longitudinal members at the sides of the lug on a lever which is in engaging position.

17. A ramp having a platform provided With a longitudinal slot, an endless chain arranged to be driven in either direction, a plurality of load engaging levers thereon, a cam near each end of the ramp for successively raising said levers above the platform, a guard plate at each end of the slot, a control lever and operative connections between the control lever and the cams and guard plates.V

It Witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this 15 day of August, 1913.

CLARENCE HEALY.

`Witnesses G. QUIMBY, E. W. MARSHALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. S. 

